INSPIRE is a research project with online and mobile application resources for blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant survivors who are 2 to 5 years after their first transplant and at least 2 years after their last treatment for cancer. The INSPIRE Project is created by transplant clinicians and researchers across the U.S. including at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. It offers a website and mobile app with resources and care for survivors treated at many transplant centers in the United States:

Information and tools to improve health

Strategies for rebuilding mood

Treatment Summary and Survivorship Care Plan (Plan) for you and your health care providers to make sure you get the health care you need as a transplant survivor.

For those who wish additional support, it also offers coaching calls to help people use the resources in INSPIRE.

About the Project

What is the INSPIRE Project?

The INSPIRE Project is research supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (on the website: clinicaltrials.gov search for NCT03125070, or search online for grant number: R01 CA215134). The purpose of the project is to create and test an internet, social media, and mobile app program to address common concerns of blood stem cell transplant or bone marrow transplant survivors who are 2 to 5 years after transplant.

Transplant centers participating in INSPIRE are:

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Baylor University

Cleveland Clinic

Kansas University Medical Center

Karmanos Cancer Institute

Loyola University Medical Center

Massachusetts General Hospital

Medical College of Wisconsin

Moffitt Cancer Center

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

University of Minnesota

University of North Carolina

University of Pennsylvania

In addition, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the National Marrow Donor Program/Be the Match and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) are participating in the project.

What is Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center?

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is in Seattle, Washington. It is one of 49 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers nationwide. The Fred Hutch is where the procedure for blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant was first developed. In 1990, Dr. E. Donnall Thomas received a Nobel Prize for his work in making blood and marrow transplant successful in treating blood cancers (hematologic malignancies) and other blood diseases, first at the Fred Hutch and then throughout the world. Now patients are seen for their transplants at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which is a partner with the Fred Hutch.

Why is the INSPIRE Project important?

There are now over 150,000 survivors 5 or more years after transplant. We know these people have a higher risk of health problems than people of the same age who have not had transplants. As the number of survivors grows, improving long-term health and quality of life for survivors becomes ever more important.

Who is participating in the project?

The project will include up to 1000 adults who are 2 to 5-year survivors of transplant.

How will my information be used during the project?

Our scientists will use your information to see if the project has helped to reduce common health concerns in long-term survivors of transplant. We will look at whether this website and mobile app help people like you to make the most of their lives and their health. The program focuses on tools for you to know what you need to do to be as healthy as possible, to track your tests and test results, and to feel good while reducing stress.

Is my information kept confidential?

The information you provide is completely confidential and used only for the INSPIRE Project. Each participant is assigned two identification numbers, which are saved into a database. One number is used when we approach you to participate in INSPIRE. The second number is used if you decide to enroll in INSPIRE. The database is carefully secured and is accessible to only a small number of our project staff. All staff members must be trained in confidentiality and human research. They also must have a unique password that is changed several times a year. Participants are only identified by their assigned ID number, and never by name or personal information. See our Privacy Policy for more details about confidentiality.

How can I contact the INSPIRE Project?

You can email our project staff at INSPIRE@fredhutch.org. Or you can call us at our toll free number: 1-888-344-5678. We return messages within 3 business days.

How can I get more information about my rights as a research participant?

The INSPIRE consists of the coordinating center in Seattle at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and consortium sites at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Baylor University, Cleveland Clinic, Kansas University Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, University of Pennsylvania, University of North Carolina, and Moffitt Cancer Center. We are partnering with the Center for International Bone & Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, we have been working with people having transplants for over 35 years. The mission of our program is to improve the lives of people living after cancer and transplantation. Meet the team!

Dr. Karen Syrjala leads the team of scientists and clinicians participating in the INSPIRE Project. Based on her extensive research, she has developed other successful programs that provide recovery tips and tools for transplant recipients and their caregivers. She is the Director of the Biobehavioral Sciences Department and the Co-Director of the Survivorship Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. If you would like to know more about her research program or her, click here for information.

Dr. K. Scott Baker is a co-leader of the INSPIRE Project team of scientists and clinicians. He is the Director of the Survivorship Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and also Director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. His primary research interests are in the acute and long term-effects of bone marrow transplant with a focus is on late cardiovascular complications that can develop as a result of cancer treatment including transplant.

Dr. Navneet Majhail is a co-leader of the INSPIRE Project team of scientists and clinicians and is the Director of the Blood & Marrow Transplant Program at the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to co-lead the project. He will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Jean Yi is the INSPIRE project director. She has extensive experience with contacting and working with transplant survivors and others who live far away from their transplant centers or a research program. She has experience with two previous similar studies looking at online resources for people after transplant. She is especially interested in how living with survival issues can take a toll on individuals and couples.

Jenny Whitten is the project manager. She coordinates study activities and keeps track of our progress to make sure everything runs smoothly and securely. If you have email questions or call the phone line, she will likely be the person who answers. She is here to answer any study-related questions you may have.

Dr. Linda Burns is the site principal investigator at the National Marrow Donor Program, where she is the Vice President of Health Services Research (HSR) and a Senior Scientific Director for the Resource for Clinical Investigation in Blood and Marrow Transplant (RCI BMT), Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) – Minneapolis. She participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project by directing the team at the RCI BMT.

Dr. Areej El-Jawahri is the site principal investigator at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is the Director of BMT Survivorship Program, Associate Director of Survivorship Program and an Assistant Professor of Medicine. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She will coordinate site study activities for survivors transplanted at Mass General.

Dr. Theresa Hahn is the site principal investigator at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she is Professor of Oncology in the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She will coordinate site study activities for survivors transplanted at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Shernan Holtan is the site principal investigator at the University of Minnesota where she is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She will coordinate site study activities for survivors transplanted at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Heather Jim is the site project coordinator at Moffitt Cancer Center, where she is an Associate Professor in the Health Outcomes and Behavior Department. She has an active research program to study and improve quality of life in people treated with blood and bone marrow transplant. She will coordinate site study activities for survivors transplanted at Moffitt.

Dr. Alison Loren is the site principal investigator at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Joel McGuirk is the site principal investigator at Kansas University Medical Center, where he is Medical Director, Blood and Marrow Transplant and Professor of Medicine, The University of Kansas Medical Center. He has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. He will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the Kansas University Medical Center.

Dr. Jana Reynolds is the site principal investigator at Baylor University where she is the Assistant Medical Director for Blood & Marrow Transplant Services at Baylor Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas. She serves as an Assistant Professor for the Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at Baylor University.

Dr. Bronwen Shaw is the site principal investigator at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she is Professor in the Department of Medicine and she is also the Scientific Director of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. She has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. She has an interest in health-related quality of life and survivorship issues in transplant survivors. She will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Patrick Stiff is the site principal investigator at Loyola University Medical Center, where he is Professor and Director of Research, Hematology/Oncology, Division Director, Hematology/Oncology, Medical Director, Cancer Center. He has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. He will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at Loyola University Medical Center.

Dr. Joseph Uberti is the site principal investigator at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, where he is the Director of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. He has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. He will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Dr. William Wood is the site principal investigator at the University of North Carolina, where he is an Associate Professor, School of Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill, Clinical Research, Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma Program, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Program. He has participated in the development of this INSPIRE project and continues to contribute to the project. He will answer medical questions for patients transplanted at the University of North Carolina.